The 18th Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference Sponsored by LSAC

Welcome to The 18th Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair 2022 Sponsored by The Law School Admission Council (LSAT) - the nation's premier information-sharing and networking empowerment event for aspiring Black lawyers!

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Founded in 2005 by Evangeline M. Mitchell, a graduate of HBCU Prairie View A&M University, the University of Iowa College of Law, and the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

QUICK FACTS 

From 2005 until 2021, the National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair has:

Featured 74 keynote speakers, 182 special guest/guest speakers, and over 902 community leaders, law students, lawyers, law school administrators, and judges who have served as featured panelists, moderators, workshop presenters, advisors, mentors, and small group discussion leaders.

 Registered approx. 10,200+ registrants nationwide.

 Approx. 200 law schools attended to recruit potential law students.

 Hosted 350+ mock law school classes, workshops, panels, clinics, and other sessions.

Garnered the support of numerous elected officials and bar leaders.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The National Black Pre-Law Conference provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn more about: 

* the current statistics regarding African American law school applicants and law students

* how to effectively navigate the law school admissions process

* how to prepare to become more excellent, competitive, and strategic applicants with regards to the overall package

* how to properly prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

* issues involving affirmative action and the role of diversity in the law school admissions process

* how to choose the right law school for you

* what various law schools across the country have to offer

* how the financial aid process works, how schools select recipients of scholarships and fellowships, loan repayment assistance programs, managing law school debt, and relevant financial concerns during the current economic downturn

* what is the value of the J.D.

* what is the law student learning experience like (through a mock law school class with an assignment to read and brief a case to prepare for the Socratic method of class discussion)

* how to make the most of the law school experience

* how to make your diversity (racial, socioeconomic, educational, cultural, experience, intersections, etc.) work for you by contributing to the law school inside and outside of the classroom

* what minority law school preparatory programs are available

* what academic support is available to law students

* what the unique challenges are that African Americans in particular face in law school admission, law school, and in the legal work environment, and coping mechanisms to overcome microaggressions, and other people's prejudices and misperceptions

* how to project a professional business image

* how to approach the job search and interviewing process, and what legal employers are really looking for

* what the bar exam is and what it takes to pass the bar exam

* what career options are available, and how to create your own opportunities

* how to network effectively and seek out mentors

* keys to career advancement

EVENT FEATURES

This Year's Event Will Feature the Following Benefits:

* Pre-Event Orientation on "How to Maximize the National Black Pre-Law Conference Experience"

* Conference Strategy Booklet and Sponsorship Guidance Booklet

* Meet-Ups to Connect with Fellow Attendees and Speakers

* Major Keynote Speakers, Special Guest Speakers, and Guest Speakers and Organization Leaders

* Mock Law School Class

* Workshops and Master Classes

* Panel Discussions

* In-Person Law School Recruitment Fair (Featuring Law Schools From Across the Country) with Live Q&A, and Chat Opportunities During Special Dedicated Time Block

* Closing Plenary Session and Aspiring Lawyers Pinning Ceremony - Reading of the Aspiring Lawyers Success Pledge and Words of Inspiration

* Interactive Networking and Connection-Making Opportunities

* Chances to Win Prizes!

We have brought together incredible speakers, presenters, panelists, moderators, and facilitators from all over the country, and curated some amazing content, especially for our aspiring lawyers. We have also planned wonderful interactive virtual advisement sessions, networking, and community-building activities and opportunities!

Take advantage of this unparalleled conference experience where our goal is to encourage and empower you with the information, resources, and connections you need to become the most excellent, competitive, and strategic law school applicant, law student, and lawyer possible. 

Please don't miss out on this amazing virtual and in-person opportunity to gain information, resources, and connections - wherever you are!

http://www.blackprelawconference.org | #blackprelawconference

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Click here for our most updated event schedule - https://docs.google.com/document/d/11p-AyQIxeEPMORbV0geJqyfz94KEiseb_GE3LxhH7Cw/edit?usp=sharing



THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2022

9:00 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.

Boston Law School Tours

* Please see the separate Boston Law School Tour schedule for further details.

The Conference will provide a guide to lead this tour.

Group meets at Park Street T Station in Boston Common ParkSTOP 1: Boston College Law SchoolSTOP 2: Northeastern University School of LawSTOP 3: Suffolk University Law SchoolSTOP 4: Boston University School of LawSTOP 5: New England Law | Boston

New England Law | Boston will provide complimentary snacks and drinks.

3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Special Meet and Greet+ Q&A

with Lonita K. Baker, Esq., M.B.A., President, National Bar Association

Louisville, Kentucky

Attorney Baker served as the lead attorney for Breonna Taylor’s family and now leads the nation’s oldest and largest bar association made up of primarily African American lawyers and judges.

4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

WORKSHOP SESSION

About the LSAT Presented by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)

5:10 P.M. - 6:10 P.M.

WORKSHOP SESSION

Paying for Law School Presented by AccesssLex Institute

6:15 P.M. - 7:15 P.M.

Screening of Award-Winning Short Film The Silent Partner

and

Talkback with Filmmaker Roderick Lawrence

7:30 P.M. - 9:30 P.M.

OPENING KEYNOTE SESSION & WELCOME CEREMONY

Bar Association and Student Organization Leaders and Guest Speakers

Chinh Pham, Esq.President, Boston Bar Association, Boston, Massachusetts

Carla Reeves, Esq.Co-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Boston Bar Association, Boston, Massachusetts

Jasmine Williams, Esq., President, Black Law Students Association, New England Law | Boston, Boston, Massachusetts

George Boateng, President, Black Law Students Association, Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts

Special Guest Speaker

Cherina Wright, Esq., M.B.A.

Adjunct Professor and Assistant Dean, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Suffolk University Law School

Boston, Massachusetts

Keynote Speaker

Sherri Ann Charleston, J.D., Ph.D.

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dr. Charleston serves as the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) at Harvard University. She is one of the nation’s leading experts in diversity and higher education.

Keynote Speaker

George Clayton Fatheree, III, Esq.

Partner

Sidley Austin LLP

Los Angeles, California

Attorney Fatheree’s leadership and advocacy in the Bruce’s Beach case led to the first land reparations case in favor of African Americans in United States history.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, 2022

9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.

Harvard Law School Tour

Student ambassadors provide a tour of Harvard Law School for conference attendees

Meet at Harvard Law School

Cambridge, Massachusetts

10:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.

FOCUS: THE CASE METHOD AND THE SOCRATIC METHOD

The Law School Classroom Experience - Mock Law School Class

Taught By Harvard Law School Professor Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Esq. Jesse Climenko Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School Cambridge, Massachusetts

Case reading will be provided in advance. Please come prepared. You may be called on by Professor Sullivan.

Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts

12:00 P.M. (Noon) - 7:00 P.M.

LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL’S BOSTON LAW FORUM

General info about LSAC Law School Forum: https://www.lsac.org/lawschoolforums

In-person event schedule for Boston: https://www.lsac.org/lawschoolforums/in-person-schedule

Renaissance Waterfront Hotel

Boston, Massachusetts

12:30 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.

Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery: Walking Tour Experience

Group Self-Guided Walking Tour

Please download the app at: https://legacyofslavery.harvard.edu/walking-tour

The Conference will provide a guide to lead this tour.

Group should meet in Radcliffe Yard.

Tour Stops Include: Radcliffe Yard; Christ Church; The Old Burying Ground; The Hutchins Center for African & African Research; Wadsworth House; Widener Memorial Library; Memorial Hall; Museum of Comparative Zoology; Harvard Law School; Cambridge Common

3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.

Boston Black Heritage Trail® Walking Tour

Group Self-Guided Walking Tour – The Black Heritage Trail® Map Provided/Audio Available for Download

https://www.nps.gov/boaf/mobile-app.htm

The Black Heritage Trail® explores the history of the 19th-century African American community in Boston.

The Conference will provide a guide to lead this tour.

Group should meet in front of the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial; Beacon and Park Streets, Boston Common, Boston, MA

Points on the Tour Include: Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial; George Middleton House; The Phillips School; John J. Smith House; Charles Street Meeting House; Lewis and Harriet Hayden House; John Coburn House; Smith Court Residences; Abiel Smith School, Museum of African American History; The African Meeting House, Museum of African American History

7:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.

RECEPTION

Complimentary food and beverages provided.

+

NETWORKING GAMES & INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES

Special Guest Speakers

Kimberly Hulsey, Esq.

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Locke Lord LLP

Washington, DC

Kiana Pierre-Louis, Esq.

Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Northeastern University School of Law

Boston, Massachusetts

Members of National Black Law Students Association chapters and bar associations are invited to spend time networking and connecting with prospective law students.

Locke Lord LLP Boston Office

The Prudential Center

Boston, Massachusetts

8:30 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.

FOCUS: LIFE AS A BLACK LAW STUDENT & LIFE AS A BLACK LAWYER

ASK US ANYTHING! DUAL PANEL DISCUSSION With Black Lawyers and Black Law Students

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH, 2022

9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.

Registration

Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Cambridge, Massachusetts

9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.

One-on-One Pre-Law Advisement and Practical Assistance Clinic

Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Cambridge, Massachusetts

10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Opening Keynote Power Session

Student Organization Leader and Guest Speaker

Richard Garzola Jr., National Chair, National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), Washington, DC

Student Organization Leader and Guest Speaker

Dara Ferguson, President, Harvard Black Law Students Association, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Student Organization Leader and Guest Speaker

Kerimal Suriel Guerrero, President, Black Law Students Association, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts

Student Organization Leaders and Guest Speakers

Regine Cooper, Co-President, Black Law Students Association, Boston College Law School, Boston, Massachusetts

Praise Tillman, Co-President, Black Law Students Association, Boston College Law School, Boston, Massachusetts

Bar Association Leader and Guest Speaker

D’Andre Fernandez, Esq.

President

Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association

Boston, Massachusetts

Keynote Speaker

Shayne O’Reilly, Esq.

Director and Associate General Counsel, Head of Strategic Transactions, Licensing and Open Source

Meta

Atlanta, Georgia

Attorney O’Reilly is not only a legal executive with global responsibility leading a team of attorneys and engineers, but he is also a fierce diversity and inclusion advocate. He serves as co-chair of Black@Legal (180+ member Black affinity group for Meta’s legal department), creator of the Meta/Goodwin HBCU IP Scholarship, and co-creator/co-chair of the Facebook 1L Legal Diversity Summer Associate Program.

Keynote Speaker

D. Wendy Greene, J.D., LL.M.

Director, Center for Law, Policy and Social Action

Professor of Law

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Professor Greene is known as the legal architect behind the history-making state and federal legislation known as the C.R.O.W.N. Acts (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Acts): the first laws in the nation to expressly recognize race discrimination is inclusive of the discrimination African descendants’ encounter based upon their natural and protective hairstyles such as afros, twists, locs, and braids.

Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Cambridge, Massachusetts

12:15 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Fireside Chat with Attorney Bruce Jackson

Bruce Jackson, Esq.

Associate General Counsel and Managing Director, Strategic Partnership

Microsoft

New York, New York

Special Guest and Interviewer

Monica E. Monroe, Esq.

Assistant Dean for Community Engagement, Equity, and Belonging

Harvard Law School

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Bruce Jackson studied law at Georgetown University and spent a decade working in entertainment law with some of the top music talent in the country. Since then, he has received Microsoft’s diversity award, participated in Microsoft’s law and corporate affairs’ diversity efforts, helped launch Microsoft’s Elevate American Veterans Initiative, and worked to develop its diverse recruitment pipeline. Attorney Jackson is the author of the new book Never Far From Home: My Journey from Brooklyn to Hip Hop, Microsoft, and the Law (Scheduled Release Date: 2/7/2023)

1:00 P.M. - 1:15 P.M.

GROUP PHOTO

1:15 P.M. - 2:15 P.M.

LUNCH BREAK

2:15 P.M. - 3:15 P.M.

FOCUS: LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS (AND THE LAW)

DOUBLE PANEL DISCUSSION

What’s Next If The Current U.S. Supreme Court Decides Against Race-Conscious Affirmative Action?: Lessons from Law Schools in States Where Race Consideration Has Already Been Banned (California (1996), Washington (1998), Florida (1999), Michigan (2006), Nebraska (2008), Arizona (2010), New Hampshire (2012), Oklahoma (2012), and Idaho (2020))

AND

Mock Law School Admissions Committee Meeting

3:30 P.M. - 4:45 P.M.

FOCUS: THE BLACK LAW STUDENT EXPERIENCE

***Screening of Multiple Award-Winning Documentary Short Becoming Black Lawyers ***

Created, Executive Produced and Directed by Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq., Ed.M.

MODERATED BY

Richard Garzola Jr., National Chair, National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) (Washington, DC)

and

Tatiana Beaujour, National Director of Pre-Law Affairs, National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) (White Plains, New York)

SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE! Question and Answer Session with the Filmmaker and Cast of Becoming Black Lawyers

Featuring Cast Members:

Veronica N. Dunlap, Esq., M.B.A., Deputy Executive Director, ACLU of Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland)

Paula Edgar, Esq., CEO, PGE Consulting Group LLC (New York, New York)

Marcus Sandifer, Esq., M.A., General Counsel, Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs, and Corporate Secretary, Celsius Inc. (Boca Raton, Florida)

Alexi Thomas, Esq., M.B.A., Vice President, Legal and Compliance, Evercore (New York, New York)

5:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.

Closing Plenary Session and Aspiring Lawyers Pinning Ceremony

Student Organization Leader and Guest Speaker

Tatiana Beaujour, National Director of Pre-Law Affairs, National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA), White Plains, New York

Student Organization Leader and Guest Speaker

Langie Cadesca, Co-President, Black Law Students Association, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts

Special Guest Speaker

Lisa Braithwaite

Director

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs

Boston College Law School

Newton Centre, Massachusetts

Keynote Speaker

T. Anansi Wilson, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Law

Founding Director, Center for the Study of Black Life and the Law

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Dr. T. Anansi Wilson is an award-winning scholar of law, literary and cultural studies, a racial-justice strategist, and an author of creative nonfiction. Their legal research is situated in legal philosophy, critical theory, political economy, and constitutional law. Their writing and scholarship primarily focuses on the history of Black thought, art, and imagination crafted in response to, and resistance against, the social, political, and legal realities of domination in the West.

Recognition of Bridge Builders Esquire Mentorship Excellence Honorees

Legacy Builder Award Honoree

Recitation of Aspiring Lawyers Success Pledge + Pinning of Eagle Pendants on Aspiring Lawyers by Current Lawyers